Apparatus for automatically placing brake blocks on railway lines



Jan.- 8, 1924. L. cHAssY APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLACING BRAKE BLOCKS 0N RAILWAY LINES Filed Aug. 8. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 8, 1924.

L. CHASSY APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLACING BRAKE BLOCKS on RlkILWAY mums m vdE Wm w .m 7 W k 4 Q a Jag. 8, 1924. 1,480,503

L. CHASSY APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLACING BRAKE BLOCKS ON RAILWAY LINES Filed Aug. 8. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. 8 1924.

L. CHASSY APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLACING BRAKE BLOCKS 0N RAILWAY LINES (Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed A 8. 1921 Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

UN 1 TED "S AT mien :CHASSiY, or .EIBMINY, LOIBE, rnAN oE.

. ppl cation filed August a, 1921 Serial 1%. 490,743.

(GRANT-ED UNDER THE monsters-crane sor er MARCH 3, 1921, 41STAT. i.., ;1,31 3.

new and useful Apparatus for Automati ca'lly Placing Brake. -B'locks on Railway Lines (for which 1 have filed applications in France July 28, 1920, Patent Number 522,. i56, and May 12, 1921), of which the following'is a specification.

.F or the purpose of stopping, at given points. uncoupled coaches on sorting -lines, brakeblocks are commonlyemployed, which are separately'placed by hand by an eniployeeon the :rail before the wheelsof each vehicle. The wheel of the coach ascending on the block drives the latter along, which by slidin on the rail loaded with the partial weightor the coach produces the stoppage of the latter by the action of friction. This very simple operation is always effective, subject, however, :to the condition that the persons required for placing the blocks are on the spot at the exact moment of the passage of the vehicle. Further, the operation is rather laborious and not alwaysunattended by some danger, especially when acertain number of uncoupled coaches are to be stopped The object of the presentinvention is a device effecting the automatic placing of .the difierent blocks. excepting however, the placing'of the first block which is effected from a distance (by anyone entrusted with the superintendence) bymeans ofworking a regulating lerer similar to those already employed on railways. V

The inventionuses the present forms of brake-blocks witha slight alteration so that they can be arranged on'axies or fixed pins along the rails at determined distances, these blocks being placed in the state of rest in a raised position, that is to say, laid on one s? their sides so as not to interfere with the passing of the wheels ofthe carriages 7 A suitable device of lever, excentrio or other movable member, placed beside each brakesbloclr is intended to overturn this block and place it in position on the rail. This member is controlled bya special lever, moved by hand, for the first brake-block of the series and with regard-to all the other blocks, the said :n'iember pertaining to each is automatically controlled by :thedispl'ac'elever once in order toplace the first block in position on the rail' and it isythe driving 'ofthe latter by the wheel of the "first'icare Area-T m c :r-iage presenting itself which determines the r automatic placing of the-second. which-prd duces the placing of the third and "so on in succession so long as there we carriages uncoupled or in operation. v

By the definition -first block employed above and in the following course oiijthe description, must be understood the brake block placed at the rear end of the series, that is to say, the block which is nearest the tappet or stationary buffer 'tobe avoided and farthest from the carriagesuncoupled or in working, i. e. that which :to the working lever.

V The accompanying drawings illustrate: in Figs. 1 to 4- the principle ofthe invention is connected and in Figs. 5 to 1 1 practical forms of I construction.

The principle will first be described, with 7 reference to Figs. 1 to 4: Figs. 1 andQ show" in profile and in elevation, the wholeot the de ice. Fig. 3 shows, ina diagrammatic man er, the arrangement of a series of brakeblocks along a rail and the method of their connection together. 7 F 5?: is a section taken on the line A A of Figs. 1 and 2 show retaining support. 7

On the outer lateral. side of one of-the-rails a are arranged, at. given intervals, pins-d parallel with the rail and secured thereto by one of their ends provided for that piupose with a plate 0. r The usualbralge blo'cks t are ing a method of mounting the block on its provided with flaps or lugs e a iongitu dinally pierced so that they can be slipped over the pins (Z. The lug e cominginto COIltflCh-Wltl1 the attachment support e possesses a grub-screw f which bears on a shoulderpiece-g of the support (fiend thus keeps the block 2) in its ra1sedposit1on, as shown loy-the dotted lines in F g. 1

hie dimensions of the membersandtheir" theta-nee from the rail are so providedthat the block, whilst swinging ro-und thefpin d fallsexactly into the desiredpcjsit ionon the rolling-surface of the rail a, and so-tha-t in-the raised position it doesnot inany way obstruet the passage of the aiieelsaot-tlie Fig. 4, secured by its end which on the side of the arrow, big. 2. in order to 3 of the plate c. When the blocli is slipped over the pin, the free end of this spring is lowered and the winding sinks the groove in order to allow the lugs c, c to pass. After the introduction of the latter and when the winding is between these lugs the free end rises as shown in Fig. 4 and holds the block immovable.

Opposite each pin is mounted on one of the sleepers b of the track a vertical support i, at the top of which is articulated by an axle a double arm lever m, n. The lever arm on bears against the upper sur the brake-block if, in the raised position of the latter, under the weight or the transmission-chain 12 attached to the lever arm a, which passes over guide-pulleys to be attached to the working lever Z.

The preceding description applies to the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 which is that intended for the first bralre-block. lnthis drawing the working lever is represented as on the right, whereas in practice it should be on the left, in view of the adjustment of the brake-block and the direction in which it is obliged to move in order to disengage itself from its axle-support (Z. It is the same in Fig. 3. It is understood that this working lever must in fact be situated at the spot where the carriages'are shunted in order that the operator can judge of the right moment for working the ever.

The device for control of the brake-blocks other than the first is similar to this. except, however, with regard to the connection of the cable or transmission-chain for the end which isopposite that attached to the lever 21:. In fact, for the brake-blocks t, 25 ff other than the first, the transmission chain 71) is connected to the long arm '2 of a double lever articulred at 0 on an axle secured to the rail '1'. The short arm a of this lever bears, in the position of rest, against the forward end of the lug:- of the brake-block, as is well seen in Fig. 3-.

The working of the system described is easy to comprehend, assuming a series of coaches illustrated by w w to be shunted. F ig. 3. The person in charge of the stop ping operation works the lever 7-in the direction induce the swinging of the brake-block I, which was in the raised position on its support. wheel. '0 of the carriage 4.0 will mount on this block and drive it along the rail by making it slide over the pin (Z and slip oil the latter. position shown'in Fig. 3. In its course the said brake-block acts by means of its lug e on the arm 3 and produces the reel this lever round its axis 0, impel of the lever s, 1". which will then automati cally determine the swinging of the brakeblock t which will all back on the rail before the second carriage 10 comes near it. I 7 When this block t is driven in its turn by the wheel 4) of the carriage w it will automaticall produce the swinging of the fourth block 6 and so on for the whole seriesot brake-blocks placed on the pins (Z. 4

It is to be notedthat. it is preferable in the case of shunting to arrange in .an equidistant manner the pin-supports (Z of the brake-blocks and to give to the interval between two successive pins d a value inferior to the distance from axis to axis of the two axle-trees of a carriage, as shown in Fig. 2, so that a brake-block is always in front of each of the wheels which roll on the rail to which are secured the pin-supports d.

The system described is of very great simplicity and completely and advantageously replaces the manual labour of placing the different brake-blocks before the wheels of the carriages which are to be stopped, as now practised,

The system imagined further olfers the advantage of being ready to act at any moment when the first of the brake-blocks of the series placed in position has been swung on the rail by the operation. of the initial controlling lever Z. Example: A series of thirty brake-blocks is arranged on consecutive pins (Z, the lever Z is operated. to place the first block of this series on the rail; a set of three coaches is shunted, the first block is driven by the first wheel and determines the automatic swinging of the second block the driving 01 which is effected by the second wheel, and so on. The three coaches therefore employ six blocks, i. e., one per axle; the sixth block has produced at its sliding the placing'of the seventh block in position on the rail. Ifa second set of five coaches arrives. the first wheel consequently encountersthe seventh block in position on the rail and the driving of the latter determines as infeviously'the automatic placing of the ten following blocks. After the stoppage of the tenth wheel. the seven teenth block is in place on the rail waiting for the third set of coaches which will come along. The same will occur for all the setsot coaches shunted or for single coaches, as long as there are brake-blocks on the pin-supports. I

The brakeblocks which have acted are removed by hand by the agents in charge, according to the present practice, These blocks are then replacedon the pins which had been deprived thereof, or on thepins preceding or following those inus in order to be used again at the desired moments. v

VVhe-n thecoaches are .in working it :is sutficient to-.u se a single brake-block for one coach, in this case the blocks-are placed every two pins.

The principle of the system being thus stated, the practical forms oi construction are further describech-wlfieh include modifications of the deviceef principle shown in Figs. 1 to 4, these modificationsconsistz+ 1 1'. In special arrangementsgiven to the elements of operation of the 'hrakablocks with-.1, view to obtaining a very strong apparatus and of absolutely safe working;

2. In the addition to eachbrake-block apparatus ofa safety-clog-intended to prevent the rebound of this block at its falling 'on the rail for the placing in position.

' 3,. In .theaddition to'theappartusof the first block of the series, of a swinging lever controlled trom anydistance and intended to client the placing of this-first block,'atthe right moment. r 9 r The practical apparatus of realization of the invention is shown in Figs. to 11-: Fig. 5 is a view in elevation showing the first block in the lowered position on the rail .and

the second block in the raised position outside the rail.

in front of the first block and on the section line CC of Fig. 5. Eigs. '8 and :9 are sections taken respectively on DD and of the same Fig. 5. Fig. '10 is a section similar to that of Fig. 9, but the block. being represented in the lowered position. Fig.- 11 is a profile view of a mechanism for operating the first of the blocks, for lowering or raising it, according to the direction of the working of the lever.

The modifications made in the system bear only on the mechanical arrangements employed for determining, automatically and successively, the placing on therail of each of the brake-blocks; in front of eachof the wheels of the shunted carriages, in accordance with the principle described.

To each brake-bloc: t is added a rim 2? on the edge provided with the two lateral lugs e e, this rim a little less'pronnnent than the opposite one is intended to prevent any lateral play ot'the block'on the rail and to ensure its absolutely rectilinearsliding At previously, the two lateral lugs a 0 serve for the articulation of the brake-block on therein-guided, on theone hand, and vfor its sliding over this membrane onthe other hand. The dog f'belengmgto the lug is --which they receive.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of these two blocks; Fig. 7 is a profile view :taken The pin :(l y

an upright 2ohtained in the foundry With a basa wh h h the d si ed orms and dimensions for supporting all the members composing the apparatus correspondingwto a brake-block.

mounted on the upright'2 has "a lateral tongue-piece some centimetres long and of I which the edges are made dovetailed JFK-s0 that they can be fitted intoa notch or the being made-such that the sliding maybe under rather hard friction which preventsthe pin from accidentally escaping, 'hut still lows it to be removed from its niche by a rather forcible impn-lsion. The'purpose of this monnting will he explained in the de-' scription of the Working.

The base 1 comprises a'flat bottom 1 1 r The end c t-this pin which should-he .of i

which the lower surface is smooth Whilst the upper surface is provided withseveral projections, 2, 2, 3, 4:, 16 and 1 8 situated at determined points and shaped so as to a'l low the free articulation of; the members This base is perforated with holes-for the passage of'thescrew s or bolts employed fo-robtaining its rigid fas tening on a piece of Wood solidlysecured to V the sleepers'of the line so as not "to be subject toany accidental displacement in {G011- sequenceof the vibrations caused by the'circuljation of the trains.

The two project-ions a whichare found on the broad lateral side of the bottom 1 form the bearings of a shaft 5 perpendicular to the rail a and of which one of the ends is crank 11. The latter is articulated at 10 to the arm 8 of a balance swinging onan axle 9 carriedby the upright g3, this balance is parallel; with the rail and its arm 7 is engaged at its end in an aperture 12" provided in the lower .partof a pendant arm 12 articulated at 1511;0'i3l16 shortarm ofahorizontal lever 14: swingingat 1-3 at the toipv of a support 2"- situated on the narrow lateral side of the base 1. 1 Y

An angled lever with tavo-arins"ofnnequal length is articulated at 16"on a support .16

next the shattb. Aspiral spring 18"vvork ing at the traction is-secured at 0. 15 end to r the long arm' 17; of this lever and at the other end to anenlargement 18,- ofthchase;

it constantly PLil1S5tll6 leverwby its arnr 17" stitutessafety clog. for the hralteblock when the latter is fittedon the rail-.

The super-raised part t [of the blOCk I which serves as th ust to the Whee et -the (ill coach is grooved on its surface exterior to the rail, in this groove 2 the end of the lever 14: is engaged when the block is raised, as represented in full lines in Fig. 8.

Fig. 11. illustrates a simple controlling device otthe first brake-block of the series placed along the line at the place selected.

It consists in a rocking lever 19,. 19 articulated on a fixed axle 2O belonging to a cap-- ping-plateQQ secured to the outer edge of the foot oft-he rail at a point situated below the spot occupied by the lug e of the brake-block when the latter is fitted on its pin (Z, Fig. :3. The lower arm 19 of this rocking lever is cut with a slot in which is mounted. one of the ends of a rod 2, to the other end of which is attached a rectangular piece or other rocking member terminating a cable, a chain or a rod constituting the transmission of control of the first block, this transmlssion being of a desired length and actuated by one of the types of levers in use on'the lines or any other working member situated at a suitable spot on the line and under the surveillance of the rail-v clog device.

In Fig. 6 of the fundamental device, the pins of support of the brake-blocks are represented arranged at a distance equivalent to many times their length and their connection was obtained by a. chain or a cable with the assistance of a double lever. The im proved construction obtains a rigid connection of great durability which allows the pins to be placed very near each other and consequently diminishes the total length of each of the series of brake-blocks employed at various points of railway lines.

Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawing which show, on the one hand fully, the first brake-block of a series and its corresponding apparatus, on the other hand a small portion of the second block and its apparatus, make it well understood that the apparatuses of one series succeed each other in the same manner and that they are all in similar connection. The arm 7 of the balance of the first ot the apparatuses controls the double lever 14 which serves as thrust to the second brake-block F, i when the latter is in the position. of rest, that is to say, raised outside the rail; when this second block is in place, its lug 6 bearing the dog f is situated behind the rotarylever 6, that is to say, in the-same position as the lug e of the first block with regard to the lever 6. The arm ofthe second balance controls the lever serving as thrustto the third brakeinvention.

block of which the lug with the dog is be hind the rotary leverot the third apparatus,

and so on for all the apparatuses composing not varied and the modified construction e produces the same ettects as that described tor the-explanation of the principle of the The only differences consist in. the details of the working of the improved members and of those added; this working of the new construction is hereinafter in dicated.

Given a series of brake-blocks in place and in armed. position, the first block being in the same position and under the control of the rocking lever 19, 19, as represented in Fig. 11, if shunted coaches are signalled to the agent in charge of the working lever controlling from a distance the rocking lever 19, 19, this agent operates the said lever in the desired direction in order that the transmission may have the effect of impelling the rod 23 in the direction shown by the arrowin Fig. 11; this movement determines the swinging of the rocking lever 19, 19 round its fixed axle 20. This lever consequently performs a fraction of a revolution and the end of its arm 19 lifts the dog f thus producing a sufiicient rotation of the brake-block t, t round the pin d for this block to go beyond the vertical and to let it fall by its own weight on the rail.

The first brake-block t, 25 being thus in fallen position on the rail, Figs. 5 and 6, the first wheel of the first coach shunted bears on the super-elevation I and drives this block which slides on the rail and slips over the pin d by means of its lugs 6, 6 In this displacement the dog 7 which is then 7 horizontal, Figs. 7 and .10, encounters the lever 6 and lowers it by sliding against it, then it leaves it and pursues its way with the brake-block. This level 6 by oscillating produces the rotation of the shalt 5 and of the crank 11 which rises and consequently raises the arm 8 of the balance to make the latter rock round its axle 9; in this rocking the arm 7 descends and draws with it the pendant arm 12 which exerts traction on the short arm of the thrust lever 14.- and causes the rocking of the latter, the long, arm of which rises and produces the raising of: the brake-block t by acting on the ex-. ternal lateral side of the superelevation t in the groove 2 of which was engaged the end of the said long arm. The extent of the movement of the long arm of the lever 14 is so calculated that the block may be ,raised as much as is necessary to make it t which is easy to understand, towards the' end of the fall of the block the dog 7' of the lug e encounters the tip of the arm 17 and rises by making the angled lever rock round the fixed shaft 16 and stretching the spring 18. As soon as the dog has passed beyond this tip the spring 18 pulls back the arm 17 and causes it to thrust against the base, consequently preventing the raising of the block of which the dog f bears against the outer surface of the arm 17, as shown in Fig. 10. This second block is therefore in place when the second wheel of the first coach shunted presents itself, it is driven in its turn by this wheel and its dog f lowers the lever 6 of the second apparatus, causing also the rocking of the second balance 7 8 which in its turn produces the rocking of the third brake-block.

It will be observed that the rear endof the first pin (which end is provided with the tongue-piece d) forms a thrust-bearing to the front lug e of the second brake-block when the latter is driven by the second wheel of the coach but in view of the dovetailed mounting of this tongue-piece in the support 2, the tongue-piece of the first pin slidesin its socket under the push which it receives from the lug e of the second block and finally this first pin is driven from its support by the sliding of the second block which can then freely pursue its way. The first pin falls onthe ground where it will ultimately be picked up to be replaced on its support and serve again.

It will be absolutely the same for the third and fourth blocks and the following .ones, if any, each ofthem, causing the corresponding balance 7, 8 to rock, which produces the.

fall on the rail of the preceding brake-block and further each of these blocks driving the pin 1 from the following block.

When-a small number of blocks is used, the driving out of the pin can be omitted by arranging the pins at different levels or according to a suitable order.

The working in both directions of the rocking lever 19, 19 is for the purpose of allowing the raising of the brake-block outside the rail, in case its lowering has been wrongly effected or by mistake and that the train service requires the normal passage of the carriages, for obtainingthis raising it suffices to operate the working leveriintlie direction opposite to that previously indicated in order that the rod may be attract ed inthe direction of the arrow drawn in dotted lines in Figz ll; it is then that the dog f of the lug e which receives the shock of the arm 15 ofthe rocking lever, seeing that this dog 7" is then vertical since the block is fittedon the rail. The raising of this first block is efiected without 'dificulty since the first apparatus only has the safety-.

clog 17. I

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is r 1. Means for automaticallyplacing brakeblocks on the rails of railways comprising a bracket a horizontal pin mounted on said bracket a brake-block lugs fixed to said block and rotatable and slidable onsaid pin, a vertical support, a two armed lever pivoted on said support, a chain attached to one arm of said two armed lever means for guiding said chain and hand operated means for drawing said chain.

2. Means for automatically placing brakeblocks on the rails of railways comprising a bracket a horizontal pin mounted on said bracket a brake-block lugs fixed to said block and rotatable-and slidable on said pin, a vertical support, a two armed lever pivoted on said support, a chain attached to one arm of said two armed lever means for guiding said chain and means operated by the wheels of a car in movement on the rails, for drawing said chain.

3. Means for automatically placing brake blocks on the rails of railways, comprising a bracket, a horizontal pin mounted on said bracket, a brake-block, lugs fixed to said block and rotatable and slidable on said pin, a vertical support, a two armedlever pivoted on said support, means for tilting said lever to turn said brake-block about 7 said pin, a double armed lever pivoted'to the flange of the rail, a transmission chain connected at one end to the extremity of one arm of said, last mentioned double armed lever, a second vertical support, a two armed lever pivoted on said second support, the

a brake-block, lateral lugs on said block, a dog on one of said lugs, a horizontal pin on Which said lugs are mounted, means for turning said brake-block about said pin, a

'base, an upright arm having a dovetailed notch fixed on. said base, a dovetailed lateral tongue on one end of said pin and fitting in said notch, a shaft, bearings fixed to said base supporting said shaft, a vertical arm fixed on one end of said shaft, a crank keyed on the other end of said shaft, a balance lever pivoted to said crank, a bearing carried by said base in which said balance lever is pivoted, an arm actuated by said balance lever, and a two armed leveractnated by said arm.

In Witness whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

LEONOHASSY. [us] Witnesses:

PIERRE HUGOMARX), EUGENE FORAISON. 

